Improvement in steam-lubricators



W. HAHLTQN.

Steam Luhricaturs.

Patented June 24,1873.A

W M W a Affi/N163, A

" UNITED STATS WILLIAM HAMILTON, 0F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

. IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-LUBRICATORS'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,270, dated June 24, 1873; application tiled v y June 2, 1873.

To` all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HAMILTON, of the city and county of Erieand State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented certain newV and useful Improvements in Steam-Lubricators, of .which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing .and letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this speciiication,"in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the lubricator. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the supply-funnel. Fig. 3 is a top-plan view of the bottom of the supply -funneL Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modiication of Fig.-2.

My present invention is an improvement on the patent issued to me March 25, 1873, No. 137,073. The nature of my invention consists in casting the lubricating chamber 4or cup and the hollow or tubular-bolt together in one piece instead of independent, as in my former patent, and where their unionis ei'ect- -ed by inserting the bolt through openings left in the walls ofthe cup, and in fastening or securing the same therein by means of jamnuts. The advantage of thus casting the bolt and cup together is, that it saves two joints in the construction of the lubricating device and correspondingly diminishes its liability to leak, and of which there is always a danger and a tendency to in devices of this character, and consequently every joint avoided or rendered unnecessary adds to the value of the device. My invention also consists in an improvement in the supply-funnel and sediment-cock, as hereinafter described, and which improvements I propose to substitute for the funnel and cock shown in my former patent.

The construction and operation of my in-A Avention are as follows: A is the chamber or cup, and B is the hollow or tubular distributing-bolt.` Instead of being an independent wrought-iron bolt, as it is described to be and claimed in my former patent, in my present improvement it `is cast out of any suitable metal, and in one piece with the chamber or cup A. This hollow or tubular bolt B has openings a a through its Wall, and which lead directlyto the ehannelsb b. ,Thisybolt B terminates in a point, O, which is recessed, as shown at C', and from which leads a coniform or tapering discharge-orifice, c. These features are all constructed and ar ranged as shown in the accompanying. drawing, and operate precisely in the manner described in my former pat-ent. D is a valvespiudle or needle, and may be constructed of any suitable material. Theneedle can vfbe madev of steel, or of brass with a steel point, but I prefer the latter, particularly when the chamber and bolt are constructed of this material, as then the expansion and contraction are necessarily alike.; but I desire it distinctly understood that there is nothing arbitrary about the use of any particular metal. This needle DV is provided with a tapering point, d. The relative diameters of the, oritice c and needle-point d should be such. that when the valve-needle is screwed down into the oritice so as to shut od' alll further dow of 'the lubricant the point of Asaid needle shall projectv through 4or extend out beyond the mouth of the orifice, as clearly shown in the -drawiug,'and which insures of. the orifice always being kept open and free from crustation. This needle or spindle Al) is inserted in and worksv through a stuing-'box, A', and

`which I have found preferable to the jam-nut.

On. the outer wall of the cup A, and at the lower section thereof and on aline with the pointed projecting section of the hollow bolt B, is a socket-bearing, E, in which is secured, so as to be adjustable by means ot a screw, e, the sten-dying or bearing plate E and which serves to assist in retaining the chamber or cup A in proper position after it has been' secured to the steam-chest, cylinder, &c. The

supplyfunnel consists ot' an inverted coueshaped cup, F, and a vertical tube, F2, and

which are cast together and are formed with ashoulder, F2, and a screw-thread, F3, by means of which the supply-funnel is attached lto the chamber. On the inner wall of the tube F1 is a screw-thread, G', arranged as.

clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. From the base of the cup F, and through the surface in which, the screw-thread G is cut, lead an' nularly-running supply-channels f f f, and in the inner wall of the tube F1, and also leading throughthe surface are cut vertical air-passages g g. H is a screw-plug valve, and may terminate in a hollow spindle-shank, H', having lateral opening h It, as shown in Fig. 1;

TENT

or the hollow spindle-shank H may be dispensed with, as shown in Fig. 4. rlhis plugvalve H is inserted in the tube F1, its screwthread engaging with the female thread G, and the surface of this latter thread extending below the discharge-orifices of the supplychannelsff, and also below the inlet or esca-pe openings ot' the air-passages g g. Each can be opened and closed at pleasure simply by turning the plug-valve H. The tube K of the sediment-cock is screwed into Van opening` at the base of the chamber A, and is formed with a female screw-thread, k,cut on its inner wall, and which terminates in a small valvechamber, k1, into which leads a channel, 7a2,

' that is 'flaring orl cone-shaped at its head, and

which furnishes a valve-seat for the conical point 0r end L1 of the valve-plug L. This plug is formed with a long -armed T-shaped channel, l, the lateral branches ot' which lead into the chamber K.

From the foregoing description, and in view of the description embraced in my former patent, the operation ot' my improved lubricator will readily be understood.- It is attached to the steam-chest, cylinder, or other steam-vessel, in precisely the same manner I formerly proposed, and is sustained in position by the steadying-plate precisely in the manner described. The lubricator being thus secured in position, the lubriv the chamber is filled the plug H is screwed down, entirely closing the supply-connection. The spindle D is now screwed back and, bringing with it its needle-point d, leaves an opening through the oriiice of the point G ofthe bolt B. The degree of this opening, and the4 quantity ot' the discharge, depend on the 'position of the needl.epoint,and of course can be regulated at pleasure simply by screwing the spindle in or out, as the case may be. The lubricant now ent-ers through the openings a a,

into the hollow and tubular section of the bolt, and is discharged through the opening c. Steam also enters and, passing out through the openings a. a, becomes condensed and falls to the lower section of the vessel,and, being heavier than the lubricant, always keeps the same in condition readily to dow or to be fed to the tubular section of the holt D. I ind, by practical experience, that when I empty the cup the amount drawn oft' is just equal to the capacity of the cup; consequently the lubricant is always above the boit andin condition to be fed through the upper openings a a.; and this, in connection with the fact that the pressure from the boiler is felt in the cup or chamber-for a period even after the steam is shut cti', causes my improvement to operate with great advantage in going down grades, and when, as is well known, the ysteam is always shut oli'. To draw oft' the eontentsf the chamber l, simply have to turn thev valvetubular-bolt B, each constructed as shown, an d,

cast in one piece, in combination withl the spindle D, formed as stated, the whole being arranged to operate substantially as described, as and for the purpose specilied.

2. lin combination withthe chamber A and hollow bolt B, the, supply-cock, consisting ot' the cup F and tube F,'supply-channels f f, air-passages g g, and the valve-'plug H, the whole being constructed and arranged t-o operate substantially as described. i.

3. The sediment-cock consisting otl the tubey K having achannel, k2, with a daring mouth or valve-seat, and the valve-plug L having a colle-shaped point L', and the centralT-shaped channel L, the whole being combined and arranged to operate substanti'ally'as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

VILLIAM HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

J AMES SKINNER, JOHN OLIVER. 

